A new beginning...JRs UPRR.

[Greg@mnrr]

James: You have a small hobby shop of your own!!!

I like those ore cars, especially the Chicago & Northwestern which I've never seen before your post.

Greg

 

[Alcomotive]

Yeah, I discovered that the hard way AFTER I had purchased the building. Mine is 90 x 45 and I am "Lost in Space". On the other hand since this is a Union Pacific thread perhaps I could just run a strip of double track through it and put dry high plains scenery and antelope all around it, and then call it Wyoming.

Now I am seeing some pictures of passenger equipment. Is there a 4-8-4 in there somewhere to pull them?

Yes there is I have a few UP passenger sets....4 to be exact. 2 sets in Armour yellow and 1 in grey and 1 (4) car set early 1900s. I also have a UP motor car aka Doodlebug.

 

[Alcomotive]

James: You have a small hobby shop of your own!!!

I like those ore cars, especially the Chicago & Northwestern which I've never seen before your post.

Greg

Greg....I bought those sets back in 2000. Believe it or not from Walmart. At the time wally world was selling HO stuff in Florida that lasted for 6 months and then they stopped and clearanced everything out. These were all IHC and each car has its own number no matching numbers. I got 12 UPs, 12 CNW and 11 MLW. Some how I missed getting that 12th car. Only problem is these need to be modified for metal wheels and kadee couplers. Right now they have the o'l horn hook and pie cutter wheels. Thinking of selling the MLW ore cars. We shall see. I will wait until I finish setting up my bench work/layout and finish opening my boxes too.

 

[Alcomotive]

Well I made some more progress.....

 

[Alcomotive]

slow and steady.....funny how that works....Rome wasn't built in one day lol

 

[Alcomotive]

Keeping everything plumb, level and square. Turns out from the left wall to the right wall on either side of the window wasn't perfectly square wall/corners on this old house but no problem I made the adjustments. It was about 3/8" to 1/4" off not too shabby. The modular section in front of the window I chose to do in one piece instead of a 4 foot piece then another smaller piece. That is the area I made the adjustment of the walls not being square. It turned out well I think.

 

[Alcomotive]

So now I have one last leg/section to do to close the "loop". Then fill the corners with 45 degree sections so there is no 90 degree corners on the inside of the modular layout. Then I have yet to build the center piece for the wye as well. Also work on some shelving below along with some minor bracing on the legs etc. I keep telling myself temporary layout. This is all just an exercise and to keep me preoccupied until my new garage gets built this year. Unfortunately still snow on the ground.....

 

[wheeler1963]

You have been very busy James!! It's looking very good.

 

[Greg@mnrr]

James: Ore cars are my downfall ever since I saw a unit train or approxiemtely 100 ore cars at Trainfest in Milwaukee several years ago.

I started buying ore cars with a 100 car unit train as my goal. I never kept rack of how ore cars I purchased and end up with over 300 cars when I started an inventory of my rolling stock.

I been weathering the cars, adding Chooch ore load covered with Woodland's ore, metal wheel-sets and Kadee couplers. Some are patched have my CM&N logo on their sides.

James...Your layout is coming along. Nice progress.

Greg

 

[Alcomotive]

James: Ore cars are my downfall ever since I saw a unit train or approxiemtely 100 ore cars at Trainfest in Milwaukee several years ago.

I started buying ore cars with a 100 car unit train as my goal. I never kept rack of how ore cars I purchased and end up with over 300 cars when I started an inventory of my rolling stock.

I been weathering the cars, adding Chooch ore load covered with Woodland's ore, metal wheel-sets and Kadee couplers. Some are patched have my CM&N logo on their sides.

James...Your layout is coming along. Nice progress.

Greg

Funny thing is I have more ore cars in other boxes too DRGs and others. Not sure how many I have. Maybe 75 to 100. Not sure. I have to re-do my inventory once I get everything out and get my new laptop.

 

[wheeler1963]

Funny thing is I have more ore cars in other boxes too DRGs and others. Not sure how many I have. Maybe 75 to 100. Not sure. I have to re-do my inventory once I get everything out and get my new laptop.

James, I found the HOn3 ore cars.

 

[Alcomotive]

James, I found the HOn3 ore cars.
View attachment 44736

Ya gotta love that yellow switcher wow! I have 12 of those types of logging cars not sure what I am going to do with them just yet.

That's a very nice set there. I like the loads on those small cars.

 

[Alcomotive]

Well I found some of my old EZ snap track...I had to run something lol. I am waiting on my order of micro track code 83 and cork bed. Should have it in a few days. In the mean time I am messing around for now. I will finish the last leg this weekend coming up and close out the loop. I will then work on the inside corners and add those 45 degree fillers to rid of the 90 degree corners. I ran the "Ghost" #6344 UP. It has not been adjusted for the new decoder I put in. I have to go through all the CVs yet. I will do that when I build my program track on the work bench. I will post a video later.

 

[Alcomotive]

So I did a video and the file was to big ugh. So instead I took a few pics just to show the Ghost......this weekend I will be putting up the last leg of the modules. Then on to get some 1 inch foam board. I will not use the foam all over the deck as I will use rolled cork in some places. I gotta order some more Peco switches too. Ya'll have a good weekend.

 

[wheeler1963]

You got trains rolling!! I'm jealous.

 

[Alcomotive]

You got trains rolling!! I'm jealous.

Well not a complete loop.....yet. just on 2 sides.... point to point with 1 switch siding lol but we shall see. I am not sure I have enough EZ track. Not sure why I held on to this.....lol ya I do for situations like this lol.

 

[Alcomotive]

So one of the buildings I am going to have on this layout is a distribution center for Timken bearings. As you know Timken is one of the few surviving companies that is still around since the dawn of RR during the steam era to now. Their bearings are bar none the best. I even used them to replace my chevy truck wheel bearings exclusively with Timken. So I have collected a few box cars and still have been looking for a few more. Been trying to get the paint scheme in blue and white but so far unsuccessful. So the search continues. I have bought a building for the distribution center that I will assemble in the future. I took a few pics of the box cars I have so far with the Timken logo/scheme. Numbers RBX #81 (metal), 83, 84, 85, 89 and 37259 TRB. You can see on the plan where I plan to put the Timken building.


*Edit: the top box, green one is not the correct box for the Timken box car that is a metal kit. I bought this on Ebay long ago and it is the box it came in. If ya was wondering.

**EDIT #2: I found another Timken car #RBX88!

 

[Alcomotive]

So I made some more progress. I was going to angle the last leg from the left point to the right point. See bottom of the plan in last post. I chose not to. I will add angle fillers in the 90 degree corners instead. So I am still slow and steady. Lol Everything is continuing to be level and true due to my snail's pace. I have a little ways to go yet to finsh this bench work. May do more tonight. Ya'll take it easy.

 

[McLeod]

Very nice workmanship on that bench. It looks strong enough to do a square dance on top.

 

[Alcomotive]

Very nice workmanship on that bench. It looks strong enough to do a square dance on top.

Thank you! Although this is a temporary layout and a pacifier until the garage extension is built I still wanted it done right. It will give me a chance to ponder thoughts and ideas that I can apply, in the meantime it's all good. Square dancing? I have to say that's a dying art. Lol I will dos si dos and just lean with a cold one in my hand. Lol. Later pard!